Grandmother blames DCFS for grandson's beating

BATON ROUGE - A five-year-old is fighting for his life in the pediatric intensive care unit after a severe beating and his grandmother is searching for answers on why the father was given custody.

The father is Vernell Day, 36, he's now under arrest, charged with attempted first degree murder of his own son.

"Whatever he did to that baby how horrifying is that? It's horrifying," said Kate Bergin, the boy's grandmother. "(I want) DCFS to be held responsible for gross neglect of their duties to protect children. That is their job is to protect and they failed to protect Jayveon."

Jayveon Bergin has bleeding on his brain. The group Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana said this is far too common, with more than 40 Louisiana children who die a year.

Jayveon's maternal family puts the blame on the state for giving custody to Day, a convicted felon.

The Department of Children and Family Services refused to comment on our story, citing the ongoing criminal investigation. Court records show Vernell Day was also $22,000 behind on child support payments that he owes to a second woman. He has a court hearing on that case in November.